The latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) dropped this week, with prices for materials used in door and window manufacturing were a mixed bag, both on a monthly and year-over-year basis.
In November, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category slowed, coming to a standstill from October and increasing 1.1% compared to the previous year. According to BLS, the commodity classification “organizes products and services by similarity or material composition, regardless of the industry classification of the producing establishment.”
The index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification dropped in both areas, down 0.1% from October 2023, and a full 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. The industry classification measures “changes in prices received for the industry’s output sold outside the industry (that is, its net output).”
The PPI for metal windows also decreased, by 0.1% from October and by 0.5% over the November 2022 report. Prices for metal doors and frames also decreased by 0.1% from October to November but managed to improve 2.1% since last year. Prices for wood window units flatlined in November 2023, allowing November 2023 pricing to hold on to a 4.5% increase over November 2022. Prices for wood doors for interior and exterior applications joined the 0.1% club, dropping that much from October, but like the windows, hung on to increase by 1.6% over last year.
In a reversal of other trends in November, the price for thermoplastic resins and plastic materials increased, improving by 0.6% over October 2023, but dropped from November of last year, down 6.7%. Prices for fiberglass plastic products showed no change from the previous month but did have an increase of 9.2% over the previous November.
The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, joined the ranks of prices that held steady from October to November, and it eked out an increase of 0.4% from November 2022.
Monthly and Yearly Change in Door and Window Material Prices
| Category | October to November 2023 | November 2022 to November 2023 |
| Flat Glass | 0.0% | +1.1% |
| Flat Glass Manufacturing | -0.1% | -6.3% |
| Metal Windows | -0.1% | -0.5% |
| Metal Doors and Frames | -0.1% | +2.1% |
| Wood Window Units | 0.0% | +4.5% |
| Wood Doors | -0.1% | +1.6% |
| Thermoplastic Resins and Plastic Materials | +0.6% | -6.7% |
| Fiberglass Plastic Products | 0.0% | +9.2% |
| Builders’ Hardware | 0.0% | +0.4% |